LITJLEr [V1ETZU 


THE. JAPANESE BOY 



CHILDREN OFTHE WORLD SERIES 


















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Book C 1 53 0 _ 

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CHILDREN OF THE WORLD SERIES 


STORY OF 

LITTLE METZU 

THE JAPANESE BOY 


BY 

HELEN L. CAMPBELL 


EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BOSTON 

New York Chicago San Francisco 






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Copyrighted 

By EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1905 





































JAPANESE CHILDKEN 


4 









STORY OF LITTLE METZU 

THE JAPANESE BOY 


Away in the western part of our land, along 
the shores of the great Pacific Ocean, lies the 
State of California, and in the western part of 
this State, built around a beautiful bay, is the 
city of San Francisco. 

Upon the waters of this bay, float the ships 
of all nations. If you were to go on board one 
of the great ships waiting at the docks for its 
cargo of wheat, wine, wool, silver, and gold, 
then sail out through the Golden Gate, upon 
the blue, shining waves of the Pacific, follow¬ 
ing the setting sun for four long weeks, and 
travel ever and ever so far, straight westward, 



6 


METZU 


you would come at last to a strange, beautiful 
country. 

If you could see the whole of this strange 
country at one glance, you would think it 
looked like a long string of beads, with one 
great bead in the center, then smaller ones 
upon each side, and just a tiny bead at each 
end of the string. 

For this country is made up of islands — 
one long, narrow island in the center, then two 
smaller ones at each end of this long one, and 
about four thousand little islands — some of 
them so very small they seem but a black dot 
upon the map, or like a mere handful of trees 
and flowers lying upon the waters of the great 
ocean. 

This great string of island beads is more 
than two thousand miles long, and, though it 
lies nearly five thousand miles away from San 


METZU 


7 


Francisco, yet from the little Aleutian Islands 
farthest west, which belong to our country, it 
is but a short distance to the tiny Kurile 
Islands, at the northern end of this strange 
country. 

So, in this way, we are really quite near 
neighbors. The waves of the great Pacific 
Ocean wash the eastern shores of this Island 
Empire, which we call Japan; and upon the 
western side are the Yellow Sea, the Japan 
Sea, and the Okhotsk Sea; then, still farther 
west, beyond the seas, lies the great country of 
Asia. 

If you could stand upon the wharf at San 
Francisco, and, looking far away across the 
blue ocean, could see these islands, you might 
call them the “ Land of the Setting Sun ”; but 
the strange little people who live upon these 
islands call their country the “ Land of the 


8 


METZU 



Rising Sun”; for before the sun’s rays can 
reach the eastern continent, they must shine 
upon this strange little island kingdom. 

All along the eastern shores of these islands 
flows a current, or stream, of warm water. 


UENERAL VIEW OF YOKAHAMA 

This water is warmed by the hot sunshine at 
the equator, and the people of Japan call the 
stream Kuro Shina. 

Its soft waves bathe the island shores, and 







METZU 


9 


lovely tropical fruits and flowers spring up 
along its path. Then it crosses the northern 
part of the Pacific Ocean and warms the west¬ 
ern shores of our own beautiful country, 
making even the bleak, cold shores of Alaska 
warmer and brighter. 

In this way, all the useful and beautiful 
things of earth pass from one land to another, 
making them happier and better. 

The ships sailing from San Francisco to 
Japan anchor in Bay of Yeddo, and the city 
of Yokohama lies around the bay. Eighteen 
miles from this city is the great city of Tokio, 
the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun. 

In a pretty house, built almost entirely of 
bamboo — which is a kind of cane growing 
more than sixty feet high, and very large and 
strong—lives a merchant, who has a great 
warehouse in Yokohama, from which rice, 


10 


METZU 


silks, and curious Japanese wooden-ware are 
shipped to other lands. 

Little Metzu does not call his native land 
Japan; his name for the beautiful country is 
Dai Nippon, which means “The Great Sunrise 
Land.” 

You would think it a strange house for a 
wealthy merchant to live in, for there are but 
few rooms, and it is only one story high ; but 
little Metzu — the merchant’s son — and his 
sister Kine, think it the pleasantest place in 
the whole town. 

Perhaps that is because it is their home, and 
because there are so many nice places in which 
to play, and so many other little children 
living near to play with them. 

They think their city the finest in the king¬ 
dom. It is on the largest island in the center 
of the empire. This island is called Hondo 


METZU 


11 


now, but some years ago it was called 
Nippon. 

Back of the house where little Metzu lives, 
is a beautiful garden and lawn. There are 



GARDENS IN TOKIO 


little ponds of water where gold-fish swim; 
there are pretty bridges across the water; beds 
of bright flowers are everywhere, and from the 
garden wall one can look across the great 



12 


METZU 


moat, where the white swans are slowly float¬ 
ing upon the water, and see the great stone 
walls of a castle — stones so large and heavy 
that one wonders how they were ever placed 
there. 

Out in the garden Metzu has a pet monkey 
chained to a post, and the crows in the garden 
are so tame they will fly down beside the 
children, as if they wished to join in the play. 
Sometimes Metzu and Kine have a tea-party 
in the garden and make believe drink tea out 
of Kine’s tea-set. 

Then the crows will fly around crying “ caw! 
caw!” just as they do in our own land; but 
these crows are so tame that they will some¬ 
times snatch a piece of rice cake from the 
little table, or from the children’s hands. 

Then Kine has a pet kitten, with a tail about 
an inch long; and Metzu has a pet dog, chin; 


METZU 


13 


that is the Japanese word for dog. The dog 
has a pug nose and great round eyes, and the 
children are very fond of him. 

The children of Japan never throw stones 
at stray dogs, or harm them in any way. A 
few years ago dogs were considered sacred by 
the people of Japan, and there were men to 
look after them and see that they were fed and 
had shelter. Then little children used to stop 
on their way to school, or ceased their play, to 
comb and brush any stray dog they might 
chance to meet. 

But since the Japanese have learned the 
ways of other people, many of their strange 
customs have been changed. 

The little Japanese are the happiest children 
in the world. Everybody is kind to them and 
tries to please them. Perhaps that is because 
they are always kind and polite to everybody. 


I 



H 


METZU’S MOTHER GOING VISITING 















METZU 


15 


If you were to go out in the streets of Tokio, 
or of any large city in Japan, or out in the 
country with the farmer’s children, and play 
with the little boys and girls, you would never 
hear one cross or angry word. 

The little boys never strike and kick and 
call each other names, nor do the little girls 
quarrel over their queer doll babies and their 
pretty fans and parasols. 

The babies of Japan never cry. They are 
always carried on the backs of their mothers 
or sisters, and the little girls run around 
playing hop scotch and blindman’s buff, with 
a little baby brother or sister on their backs. 
Baby’s bright eyes, shining like black beads, 
watch all the sport; and when it gets tired it 
just shuts its eyes and goes to sleep, and the 
poor little head wobbles and bobs around. 

The ladies of Japan always carry their 



1G 


A SHOEMAKER IN JAl’AN 




















METZU 


17 


fans and parasols, when they go to visit 
one another. 

The mothers take their children with them; 
and so good are they that they never make 
any trouble. 

Little Metzu and his sister wear very funny 
clothes, and one wonders how they can play 
with such long dresses on. Then the sleeves 
are so wide and long; but inside of them are 
great pockets, and little Metzu needs pockets 
as much as an American boy does, and he 
finds as many strange things to put in them. 

Kine wears a broad sash around her waist, 
tied in a great bow behind. Both children 
wear wooden shoes, bought at one of the shops 
in Tokio. 

When the children come into the house, 
they slip off their shoes at the door; there is 
nothing to hold them on their feet except a 



MEETING OF THE FOXES AT NIGHT TIME 


18 












































METZU 


19 


strap over the great toe. Their stockings have 
a place knit for the big toe, just as your mittens 
have a place knit for the thumb. 

Metzu and his sister, Kine, have a little 
pocket made of red crape, embroidered with 
white flowers, fastened to their sashes. Inside 
this pocket, which they call a prayer bag, they 
have a piece of paper, on which the priest has 
written a prayer. 

Their parents believe this will guard their 
children from evil spirits, from foxes and all 
other dangers. The Japanese are afraid of 
foxes. They believe a fox can enchant people; 
and one of their pictures shows the foxes hav¬ 
ing a meeting to plan mischief and harm. 

When little Metzu and Kine start for school 
in the morning they carry their books tied up 
in a large piece of crape; their paper umbrellas 
they carry also. When they reach the door of 



20 


A JAPANESE SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY 






































































































































































METZU 


21 


the school-room, they slip their toes from their 
wooden shoes before they enter. 

Their soft, white socks make no noise on the 
clean, thick mats. 

In many schools in Japan the children 
sit down upon the floor to study their 
lessons. When they recite, they shout at the 
top of their voices in a queer sing-song way. 
When the teacher commences the lesson, he 
bows to the scholars, and they bow also; every 
one bows, too, when entering or leaving the 
school-room. 

The children seldom need punishment in 
school. The only mischief these children seem 
to do, is to slyly pull the kitten’s short tail or 
put a paper cap on its head. 

One little girl has fallen asleep with her 
head upon her book; perhaps that is Kine. A 
little boy, sitting behind the reading class, is 


22 


METZU 


writing on his desk with his paint brush. All 
their writing is done with a brush ; they never 
use a pen. 

In the afternoon Metzu goes to the English 
school, and here he sits in a chair at a desk 
just as you do. Perhaps when little Metzu 
gets older he will come to our country and at¬ 
tend school here, for there are many Japanese 
students in our colleges. 

When school is out the children play in the 
parks and gardens until evening. The boys 
wrestle and run races ; they spin their tops, 
and fly kites — such gay kites ! Some of them 
are like snakes and dragons. 

Sometimes the boys have fighting kites. 
These are made by dipping the strings for a 
length of about thirty feet from the kites into 
glue, then into pounded glass. One boy will 
try to get his kite across another’s in such a way 


METZU 


23 


that the pounded glass will cut the string of 
one. The boy whose kite-string is cut must 
give up his kite, but these Japanese boys 
never seem to get angry or quarrel over their 
games. 

The girls roll hoops, run races, drive paper 
butterflies through the air with their fans, and 
sometimes play ball with the boys. Another 
game, or play, which they enjoy very much, is 
played with masks. Some of the masks are like 
the faces of animals ; others like those of giants 
and ogres. The children put these on and try 
to act like the animal or person the mask repre¬ 
sents. Often they play driving away the fox. 
One wears a mask like the face of a fox while 
others pound a drum and shout to frighten him 
away. 

In warm weather — and it is warm weather 
most of the time on the island of Hondo — the 



RAIN COATS MADE OF GRASS 


24 












METZU 


25 


children go barefoot ;'and, as do most children, 
they like this way best. 

Metzu never has to hunt for his cap or hat 
when leaving for school, for he never wears 
one; but sometimes when the sun shines very 
strong, he carries a paper umbrella. Farmers, 
working out of doors in a storm, w’ear rain 
coats and hats made of a kind of grass. 

When Metzu and Kine go home, they leave 
their shoes outside the door; then they wash 
their hands, faces and feet. The Japanese 
are a very neat, clean people, and besides tak¬ 
ing a bath every day, they wash their feet as 
often as you do your hands. This keeps the 
mats upon the floor clean, which is quite 
necessary, as they always sit and sleep upon 
the floor. 

Some one said once, “The Japanese chil¬ 
dren never fall out of bed, for there are no 


26 


METZU 



beds, and never tip over a chair for there are no 
chairs.” The matting upon the floor, and the 
pictures upon the walls, are nearly all the fur¬ 
niture a Japanese house contains. 


Their dining table is very low, only a few 
inches high. 

They sit upon the floor around this table, 
and the maid brings in the rice, or fish, upon 











METZU 


porcelain dishes. Often each dish is set upon 
a little stand of beautiful lacquered wood. 

If you were ever so tired you would find it 
quite hard to rest in a Japanese bed; but 
Metzu and Kine think the beds they have seen 
in the houses of the English and American 



people at Yokohama must be strange places to 
sleep in. 

When they are tired and sleepy, they spread 
down upon the floor an extra mat, then they 
bring their pillows — wooden blocks with a 








28 


METZU 


paper cushion on top — and, wrapping a thick 
quilt of beautifully flowered silk around them, 
they lie down, and sleep as sweetly as you do 
upon your little bed with its soft mattress and 
pillows. 

Sometimes in the evening the father and 
mother sit down upon the floor with the chil¬ 
dren, and play a game very much like your 
game of dominoes. Japanese parents are very 
fond of their children, and teach them many 
quiet games. 

They often read to the children, and tell 
them stories and legends of olden days. 

To-day Metzu is rather sad. He has been 
coaxing his father to let him go fishing down 
by the river. He saw some little boys there 
yesterday catching crabs and little fishes, and 
he wishes to go with some of his schoolmates 
to-morrow and catch crabs, too. Then he has 


METZU 


29 



a new fishing rod and line, and he is sure he 
could catch fish with that. He saw a fisher¬ 
man standing on a rock fishing with hook and 
line, while a great stork stood patiently beside 
him, hoping to share his good luck. 










30 


METZU 


But Mctzu’s father thinks him too young to 
go fishing without some older person with him ; 
and he tells him to wait a few days, and they 
will go to Yokohama. There he will take him 
out upon a bay to catch fish by torch-light. 

Little Metzu is pleased with this plan. He 
has often been out upon the bay, but never at 
night, and he remembers how beautiful the 
water looks by moonlight. 

“O father,” he says, “may Kine go too?” 

“ Perhaps Kine does not wish to go,” said his 
father. 

But Kine’s little black eyes shine brighter 
than ever as she nods her head, and all the 
funny little tufts of hair bob up and down. 

“ I should like to go with Metzu,” she says ; 
but she does not tease nor pout; a little Japan¬ 
ese girl would not do that. 

Often, after school, Metzu and Kine go 


METZ IT 


31 


through the streets of Tokio, and stop at the 
shops to buy candies and toys, just as you do. 
Their shops are small, and there are no doors ; 
but the whole front of the house is taken down, 
and you can look right through the house into 
the garden. 

All the rooms inside the house are made by 
moving screens out into the large room; and 
in this way they divide their houses into as 
many rooms as they wish. 

Every morning the screens are folded and set 
away, the matting is swept, the walls and pic¬ 
tures dusted, and then the housework is finished. 

The wooden pillows and thick silk quilts are 
laid away in a chest of lacquered wood. Two 
or three pictures, a spray of flowers in a vase, 
a guitar, or sci?nosen, and a table a few inches 
high, is all the furniture a Japanese house¬ 
keeper has in her rooms. 


32 


METZU 


As the children pass along the street, they 
stop to watch some men carving a statue of 
Buddha, one of their gods. In another shop 
they are carving ivory toys — balls, curious 
eggs, one inside another, the last one so 
small that you can scarcely see it. Then 
there are little acrobats and tumblers, and 
many, many other strange toys, carved from 
bone and ivory, and painted with bright 
colors. 

Each little house is a workshop, and you 
will see the men and women making fans, 
polishing mirrors, carding cotton, making bon¬ 
nets and silk and paper flowers. 

One morning, Metzu’s father said to the 
little boy, “ To-day you may go to Yokohama 
with me. You may go fishing by torch-light, 
and perhaps we will go to Osaka by water and 
come home by the city of Kioto.” 


METZU 


33 


“And may Kine go, too?” cried little Metzu, 
clapping his hands with delight. 

“Kine and mother, also,” said his father; 
“ and vve will visit your grandmother in Kioto.” 



FISHING BY MOONLIGHT 


Away ran little Metzu to tell his sister the 
good news; and soon the two children were 
talking merrily together, planning what they 
would do and wondering what they would see 
upon this pleasure trip. 





34 


METZU 


Soon they reach the station, and, after pass¬ 
ing through their own city, which is about 
twenty miles long, they soon see the blue 
waters of the bay shining in the morning sun¬ 
light; for it is only eighteen miles from Tokio 
to Yokohama. 

Metzu goes with his father down along the 
wharves where the great ships lie at anchor; 
and how he longs to visit the far-away lands 
from which they came! Then they go to the 
great warehouses, where goods of different 
kinds are stored, ready to be shipped away to 
other countries. In some of the houses, goods 
that the ships have brought to Japan are also 
being stored, ready to supply the merchants of 
other towns. 

Kine and her mother go to visit some 
friends, and later, when Metzu and his father 
come to the house, they all have tea together. 


METZU 


35 



While their guests are drinking tea, the 
ladies of the household will often play upon 
their curious guitars, which they call samosens , 


and of which they have several kinds. Kine 
has learned to play upon one of the smaller 
ones, and she also has learned to dance. Such 




36 


METZU 


strange dancing, you would say; for she 
moves her body and arms, but never her feet. 

At night, Metzu and his father go out upon 
the bay in a fisherman’s boat. The light from 
the torches shines far over the water, and 
when the fish come up to see what the strange 
light means, the men dip them up from the 
water in a great net. 

In the fish markets of Japan are found 
nearly all the fishes which we have in our own 
country, besides many others we never see. 
Two kinds of fish found in the waters of 
Japan are called bonito and tai; and no one 
would think of asking friends to a fine dinner 
without setting before them a dish of one of 
his favorite fishes. These fish are of a bright 
pink color, and look very nice when served on 
a pretty Japanese platter. 

Long before the boat goes back with its 


METZU 


37 


load of fish, little Metzu falls asleep, and his 
father carries him ashore; but he wakes up 
bright enough the next morning and tells Kine 
all about the fishes, and the beautiful bay, with 
its queer boats, and the great ships anchored 
in the harbor. 

In a few days they all went on board a 
Japanese boat — a junk, or sampan , as they 
are called — and very queer looking boats you 
would think them, so different are they from 
any American boat. 

As the boat sails southward along the island 
coast, the children’s father tells them that, 
many, many years ago, Kamakura, near Yoko¬ 
hama, was the capital of Japan; but a great 
tidal wave swept over the plain for many 
miles, and nothing was left to show that a city 
had ever stood upon that plain, except a great 
bronze statue of their god, Buddha. 


38 


METZU 


This statue, more than sixty feet high, is 
still standing where it was placed so many 
years ago; but the people who once wor¬ 
shipped at its altars were swept out into the 
great ocean by the terrible wave. 



STATUE OF BUDDHA 


Although the people of Japan knew nothing 
of other lands, and had never seen the beautiful 
pictures and statues in the great cities of the 




METZU 


39 



world when this great statue of Buddha was 
made, yet, when compared with the work of 
other nations, it loses nothing in its simple 
grandeur and beauty. 


FUJI-YAMA 

For many miles along the coast the children 
watched their beautiful, sacred mountain, Fuji¬ 
yama. The Japanese people are very proud of 
their beautiful mountain. Standing alone, with 









40 


METZU 


no mountains near it, it is as grand and beauti¬ 
ful, if not quite so lofty, as the great mountains 
of Switzerland. 

The children can scarcely believe their grand 
Fuji-yama is sixty miles from the coast, it 
seems so near them, with its snow-capped sum¬ 
mit glistening in the morning sunlight. They 
have always lived in sight of it, and there is 
a picture of it on nearly every screen, vase 
or fan in their home; for the Japanese believe 
that a picture of their sacred mountain brings 
good fortune to them. 

Kine often repeats this little verse : 

“To palace of the Emperor, 

To hut of mountaineer, 

The image of our Fuji San, 

Brings comfort and good cheer.” 

Their father once made a trip to the top of 
this mountain, twelve thousand five hundred 


METZU 


41 


feet above the level of the great ocean. He 
often tells the children of this journey; of the 
strange pilgrims he passed, who were going to 
the top of the mountain to worship in the little 
temple kept by the priests. 

These pilgrims carry long staffs in their 
hands to help them climb the steep pathway, 
and they wear straw hats shaped like great 
bowls, which protect them from the sun and 
rain. 

He tells them of the beautiful view from the 
mountain top, when the mists roll away from 
the valleys below in the early morning. 

Away in the east is the blue Pacific, with its 
beautiful bays and winding coast; to the west, 
shining pink and white in the morning sun, 
are the lofty peaks of the mountains of Central 
Japan — the long mountain chain that divides 
the island of Hondo into almost equal parts ; 


42 


METZU 


curling upward into the sunlight is the smoke 
from many volcanoes. To the south stretches 
the beautiful Inland Sea; seeming almost be¬ 
neath their feet, lies the lovely lake Hakone, 
the largest, most beautful lake in Japan ; and 
then over all, arch the warm, sunny skies. 

But with all its beauty and grandeur, Fuji¬ 
yama is sometimes a dangerous neighbor. 
Not many years ago it was the most active 
volcano in Japan; and many times fire has 
burst forth from its summit, and the lava and 
ashes have swept away fields and forests, and 
destroyed many lives. 

In the year 1804, there was one of these 
eruptions. Great columns of fire shot up¬ 
ward, loud thunder and blinding flashes of 
lightning followed, and earthquake shocks 
were felt for ten days; then suddenly and with 
a terrible explosion, the lower part of the 


METZU 


43 


mountain burst open, and for nearly one hun¬ 
dred miles around, the land was covered with 
ashes, cinders and molten lava. 

Now the fire in the heart of old Fuji-yama 
is supposed to be extinct, and people travel 
safely up and down its rough, rocky sides; 
yet some day it may burst forth again, with¬ 
out warning, and bring death and destruction 
to all the country around it. 

Japan might well be called “The Land of 
Many Earthquakes,” for by them, these beau¬ 
tiful islands are often severely shaken. And 
that is why the houses are built so low. Metzu 
and Kine would tell you that they do not dare 
to live in a house of brick or stone; for almost 
any day it might be shaken down over their 
heads; and the frail houses of bamboo and paper 
would not hurt those who were living in them j 
as brick and stone or heavy wood might do. 



A JAPANESE LADY 


44 














METZU 


45 


As the boat passes along the coast, the chil¬ 
dren love to watch the birds that live upon the 
water and along its shores. 

Wild ducks and geese swim among the 
reeds, and out upon the blue water the white 
swan floats. The stork and white heron watch 
the passing boats from some safe perch, the 
sea-eagles and fish-eagles soar high above their 
heads, and among the rocky cliffs along the 
shore, the noisy gulls and seamews waken the 
echoes with their harsh-sounding screams. 

When the city of Osaka can be seen in the 
distance, the children dance with delight. Like 
all little children, they dearly love to visit their 
grandmother. Such tiny little cups, with pic¬ 
tures of queer birds and bridges painted on 
them, they will have in which to drink their 
tea ! 

And grandmother always gives them rice 


46 


METZU 


cakes on such pretty little blue and white 
plates ! On each plate is a picture of a palace, 
an orange tree with great oranges upon it, a 
bridge and a boat, and a pair of birds flying 
over them all. Rice cakes are much nicer 
when eaten from these pretty plates, that grand¬ 
mother had when she was young. 

Then these children think Osaka the most 
beautiful place in which to play. There are 
three rivers and a great many canals ; these 
canals are used instead of streets. There are 
no carriages on these water streets; all the rid¬ 
ing is done in junks and sampans , and it is 
great fun to lunch on board a floating tea¬ 
house. 

Would you not have a grand time if you 
were to go into a restaurant for luncheon or to 
eat ice-cream, and all the time you were eating 
you were floating down a blue, sparkling river? 


METZU 


47 



And if, instead of taking the street car or a 
carriage, you could ride on a queer boat, gay 
with flowers and flags, and lighted in the even¬ 
ing by paper lanterns? 


DRUM BRIDGE, OSAKA 

That is the way Metzu and Kine travel 
when they visit Osaka. There are over four 
hundred bridges in Osaka, and some of them 
are very beautiful. 







48 


METZU 


The children like to visit the paper mills in 
this city; and they buy handkerchiefs, umbrel¬ 
las, and many other things that we would 
never think of making out of paper. Our 
paper is made from rags, straw, and wood, but 
the Japanese make their paper from the thick 
bark of the Kaji tree. This paper is very 
tough and strong. Little Metzu’s paper hand¬ 
kerchiefs will not tear any easier than your cam¬ 
bric ones; and they are so very cheap that, if he 
loses one sometimes, his mother will not scold. 

A great many tooth-brushes are made in 
Osaka. Nearly all the tooth-brushes sold in 
our country come from that far-away city; and 
most of them have the word “ Osaka ” marked 
in Japanese letters upon the handle. Look at 
your tooth-brush; perhaps you will find “Osaka” 
upon it. Then just think of the long journey 
it has taken before it reached you ! 


METZU 


49 



Near Osaka is the seaport town of Kobe. 
This town was once called Nioga, but a few 
years ago the name was changed. 


GENERAL VIEW OF KOBE 

From Kobe, most of the tea which is raised 
in the southern part of Hondo is shipped to 
other countries. Americans use more Japan¬ 
ese tea than any other nation. Most of the 
countries of Europe use tea from China. 




50 


METZU 


The factories, or warehouses, where the tea 
is packed into chests and stored, ready for 
shipment, are called “go-downs.” Metzu often 
visits these “ go-downs ” with his father, and 
he will play around the wharves with the little 
boys, and make believe he is selling tea, or 
loading the great ships that are to carry the 
queer chests and jars to every part of the 
world. 

Kine has a fine time playing with the funny 
dolls her grandmother had when she was a 
little girl. Some day they will belong to Kine, 
for the little girls of Japan are very careful of 
their dolls. Once, each year, every little girl 
gathers all her dolls together—all her old 
ones and new ones, some of them are very old 
— and with them she keeps the Feast of 
Dolls. 

The little girls have a nice dinner, and a 


METZU 


51 


merry time playing with their friends and 
talking about their dolls. Every girl gets a 
new dolly on that day. Even the children of 
the very poorest have a new doll in honor of 
the day. 

Of course little Metzu does not care much 
for the Feast of Dolls. Little boys have a 
feast day of their own, and he thinks that day 
is more interesting than Dolls’ Day. 

The boys’ day is the Feast of Banners, and 
it comes about the first of May. In front of 
every house tall poles are set up, with flags 
and banners, and streamers of bright colors 
flying from them. 

Many of the flags are shaped like fishes. 
These are made of paper and are hollow. 
When the wind blows into them, they fill out 
and look very much like a fish fastened to a 
line in the water. 



FEAST OF BANNERS 








































































































































































METZU 


53 


The fish which these flags represent is the 
carp. This fish is chosen because it is a very 
strong, brave fish. It will swim against a 
rapid current, or leap over waterfalls, and 
Japanese parents wish their boys to be brave 
and strong, and ready to overcome difficulties, 
as does the carp. 

Leaving Kine and her mother to visit with 
grandmother, Metzu’s father took him another 
journey. This time it was on a great steamer, 
which had brought a cargo to Japan, and was 
now taking a cargo of tea and Japanese silks 
and porcelain back to the country from which 
it came. But before sailing away across the 
great ocean, this steamer must take on board 
coal enough to last until she reaches home; 
and it takes a great many tons of coal to last 
many days in the furnaces of the great ocean 


steamers. 


54 


METZU 


Now the steamers are going to the city of 
Nagasaki, which is on the island of Kiusiu, to 
take in coal for her trip across the ocean. 

Metzu had never seen this part of his native 
land. He had never before been off the island 
of Hondo; and he was delighted with this idea. 
So, one morning, the great boat slowly turned 
from the wharf at Kobe and steamed away down 
the Inland Sea. 

All day long they sailed through the beauti¬ 
ful sea, passing whole fleets of Japanese fishing 
boats and junks loaded with goods to be ex¬ 
changed for coal at Nagasaki. 

The Inland Sea is over two hundred miles 
long, but in no place is it very wide; and it 
looks more like a great lake, with mountains, 
forests, cities and towns lying along its shores. 

At last they reach the island of Kiusiu, and 
enter the harbor of Nagasaki. This is one of 


METZU 


55 

the finest harbors in the world, and the city 
looks very beautiful as they come in sight of 
it, for it is built upon the hillside, and seems to 
extend from the edge of the water to the great 
mountains beyond ; and in the heart of these 
mountains are the great coal mines, from which 
five hundred thousand tons of coal are taken 
every year. 

Near the wharf where the great steamer 
came for coal, Metzu saw the docks where 
ships from other countries are repaired. 

Taking passage on another steamer that was 
bound for Kobe, Metzu and his father were 
soon sailing back over the Inland Sea, passing 
on the way the island of Shikoku, the smallest 
of the four large islands of Japan. 

Another island that Metzu wishes to visit, 
and which is many miles from Hondo, is the 
island of Formosa. 


56 


METZU 


This island once belonged to China; and 
Metzu never tires of hearing his father tell, 
how, in 1894, the Chinese broke their treaty 
with Japan, which caused war at once. 

The Chinese have a much larger country 
and many more soldiers than Japan; but they 
were not so brave and strong as the Japanese, 
and they were too indolent and proud to improve 
their army, as Japan had done. 

After several battles, which the Japanese 
always won, the Chinese were glad to ask for 
peace; and on April 17, 1895, a new treaty was 
signed, in which China promised to give Japan 
about one hundred and seventy million dollars, 
and also the island of Formosa. 

Metzu is very proud of his brave little coun¬ 
try, and thinks that if he had been a man, he 
would have taken the whole of China. 

Though the Japanese are so gentle and 


MKTZU 


57 


obliging in their own land and among them¬ 
selves, they can be brave and bold in defense 
of their rights. 



TEMPLE, OSAKA 


One day the children visited the Moon 
Temple, which is built on the summit of a 
steep mountain near Kobe, and which is 







58 


METZU 


reached by climbing many hundred steps cut 
in the rock. 

The view from the Temple is very beautiful, 
looking away over the town to the waters of 
the sea. 

Then the children visited the Temple of 
Tennoji, near Osaka, and placed some pretty 
toys upon the children's shrine, as offerings to 
their god. These little children are Buddhists 
in their religion. 

The Japanese are not a Christian people, 
although many of them believe in the Chris¬ 
tian religion; still, most of the people of Japan 
worship Buddha or Confucius, or believe in 
the Shinto religion. 

There are a great many temples and shrines 
in Japan. There are many priests, pilgrims and 
hermits. Often little shrines are built by the 
wayside, and people passing along stop to pray. 


METZU 


59 


In front of every shrine there is placed a 
gong, with a great rope hanging near it. 
Every pilgrim strikes the gong to let the gods 
know he is about to say his prayers. 

There was one 
street in Osaka 
where the chil¬ 
dren never tired 
of walking; here 
was the public 
library and nearly 
a mile of book 
shops. 

Metzu and Kine 
are very fond of 
books, and they 
both bought one. 
Metzu bought a book of stories about monkeys. 
All boys like to read about monkeys, and the 







60 


METZU 



The Japanese are very fond of pictures, and 
all their books are picture books; but some of 
the pictures would look very strange to Amer¬ 
ican children. 


picture on Metzus book looks as if it might 
be that of a very mischievous monkey. 









METZU 


61 


From Osaka the children and their par¬ 
ents are going to Kioto, about thirty miles 
inland. 

There is a railroad from Osaka to Kioto, 
but the children think it much pleasanter to 
ride in a jinrikisha. This is a queer carriage, 
which looks like a grown-up baby carriage, 
and it is drawn by men, instead of horses. 

These men can travel very fast, often going 
five or six miles an hour for several hours ; but 
it is very hard work, and many of them die of 
heart disease. 

Sometimes ladies ride about the town in a 
norimon or Kago. This is a- kind of basket 
chair, hung to a long pole, and is carried on 
the shoulders of men. 

These ingenious people have another curious 
custom. When there is no bridge across a 
stream, people and goods are carried across on 



CROSSING A RIVER 



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































METZU 


63 


the shoulders of men who wade, or swim when 
the water is deep. 

Rich people are carried in a covered convey¬ 
ance, carried on the shoulders of several men, 
but the poorer people must trust themselves 
to the shoulders of one man. 

The road from Osaka to Kioto is built upon 
the top of the dike or embankment that keeps 
the river Ogana from overflowing the land. 
The children saw many things which amused 
and interested them as they rode along. 

The low lands along the rivers are great rice 
fields, and at intervals along the embankment 
are sluices, or gateways, to let the water run out 
of the river over the rice fields. Then the earth 
is plowed or stirred up until it is soft mud, and 
in this mud the young rice plants are set in 
even rows. 

The people work in mud and water up to 



PLOWING RICE GROUND 



TRANSPLANTING RICE 


04 





















































































METZU 


65 


their knees, and women and children help set 
the young plants in the ground. 

The rice harvest is a very important one to 
the Japanese farmer; for without rice his family 
would scarcely be able to live. Rice in Japan 
is what wheat is in our country, and an Ameri¬ 
can family could not live very well without 
bread. 

Rice is ground in a mill turned by hand, 
and a piece of rice cake makes as good a lunch 
for Metzu as a piece of good bread and butter 
does for the little American boy. 

All along the way the children see groves of 
lacquer trees. From the sap of these trees a 
beautiful varnish is made. In no other coun¬ 
try can you find such beautiful, polished wood¬ 
work as you find here, and no other people 
have the patience required to make such per¬ 
fect work. 



HAIR DRESSING 


G6 




























METZU 


67 


The sap of the tree is colored upon copper 
plates ; then the wood is varnished and rubbed 
with soft stone; then varnished again and 
again, until the wonderful smoothness and 
polish is obtained. 

Years ago, when lacquer trees became very 
scarce in the island, every farmer upon the 
island was obliged to plant a certain number of 
these trees; and now there are again a great 
many of them. Kine and Metzu have little 
boxes of lacquered ware in which are kept gold 
and silver cord to tie up their hair. Kine has 
red paint and gilt in her box; for each morning 
she paints her under lip red and puts a little 
gilt in the center of it. 

Metzu’s mother has very pink cheeks and 
very red lips ; and she wears great gilt hair¬ 
pins in her hair. The children think she is 
very beautiful. 


68 


METZU 


It seems to be natural for little children of 
all nations to think their mother the prettiest 
and best in the world. 

All along the eastern hillsides are the tea- 
farms of Japan. The ground is carefully cul¬ 
tivated. No trees grow near to keep the 
warm rays of the sun from the ground, and no 
houses are built near tea-fields; for everything 
must be clean and sweet around the tea-plants, 
or the fresh young leaves will lose their fine 
flavor. 

From the mountain streams pure water is 
brought to the plants, and they must be care¬ 
fully cultivated for five years before any tea- 
leaves can be gathered from them. 

Then the women and children help to pick 
and sort out the leaves: the youngest leaves 
make the finest tea. 

No more leaves are gathered than can be 


METZU 


69 


dried before night. There are two ways of 
drying tea-leaves—one in a pan over a fire, the 
other by steaming the leaves until they are 
wilted; but whichever way it is done, the 
leaves are rolled in the hands of the women 
until nearly dry. 

The steamed leaves make a green tea, and 
those dried in an open pan are yellow. 

The finest teas are packed in jars, and the 
coarser grades in boxes covered with matting. 

The city of Kioto is very beautiful, and Met- 
zu finds a great many things to interest him. 

He goes with Kine and his mother to the 
silk factories; for in Kioto the most beautiful 
of Japans silks are made. 

Everywhere grows the mulberry tree, which 
feeds the wonderful silk-worms — “Mother 
Nature’s queer little spinners”—and nearly 
every house is a silk factory. 


70 


MET2U 


Kioto has no large factories where thousands 
of busy looms are tended by men and women, 
just as busy. There is no jar of machinery, 
no whirring spindles and whirling wheels, no 
“ swish ” of steam or screaming of whistles, 
telling that work has begun. 

In each little house the man sits patiently 
before his loom, while his wife and daughters 
wind the silk from the cocoons, ready for the 
weavers hands. 

He has no patterns ; for every weaver is an 
artist, and makes his own designs. 

Every obi , or sash, and every piece of silk 
has a different pattern ; there are no two alike. 
The sashes are very beautiful, and very gay, 
and when tied in a great bow at the back, 
make the wearers look very much like great 
spotted butterflies. 

Kine and Metzu wear such sashes, and their 


METZU 


71 


mother buys some very pretty ones for them 
while they are in Kioto. Most of them are 
two feet wide, and those for grown-up people 
are over ten feet long. 

Besides the beautiful patterns woven in the 
silk, they are often embroidered with gold and 
silver threads. 

Kioto was once the capital of Japan, and 
the home of the Mikado, or emperor. It was 
then called the City of Pleasure. 

There are a great many temples in Kioto, 
some of them being built far up the sides of 
the mountains. Kioto, itself, is built upon a 
beautiful plain, with mountains all around it. 

Priests and pilgrims can be seen every¬ 
where, and the children put a rice cake in the 
hands of a blind pilgrim and ask for his 
blessing. 

Very early in the morning every one is 


72 


METZU 



awakened by the clanging of bells and the 
beating of gongs before the temples, to call 
the priests to morning prayers ; for these quiet 
little people are very earnest and sincere in 
their worship. 


GREAT BELL, KIOTO 

One day Metzu and his father went to see 
the great bell of Kioto, the finest in Japan, 
with beautiful carvings upon it. 

Metzu thought it a wonderful bell, and told 





METZU 


73 


Kine all about it when he returned to the 
hotel where they were staying. 

“ Such a strange hotel! ” you would say if 
you could visit it. It stood upon a hillside, 
and the children could look away over the city 
to the mountains upon the other side, and, 
farther down the valley they could see the 
beautiful lake, Hikone, flashing and glittering 
like a great jewel in the morning sun. 

When the children go into the hotel, they 
take off their shoes and give them to a servant, 
and the clerk gives them a check for them. 

Inside the great hotel, all the partitions, or 
inside walls, are wooden frames covered with 
tissue paper; and if the children should move 
around in their sleep they might push their 
hands or feet through the wall into the next 
room. But a piece of paper and some rice 
starch will soon make the wall as good as new. 


74 


METZU 



“ Kekko” means beautiful, splendid, and 
Nikko, which means “sunny splendor,” is the 
name of a village in the center of Hondo. The 


The Japanese children have a saying, “ He 
that has not seen Nikko, must not use the 
word kekko.” 


METZU 


75 


village of Nikko is indeed one of the most 
beautiful places in the world. 

i he Japanese are a beauty-loving people, 
even the tiniest cottage and poorest bamboo 
hut having its little flower garden and blos¬ 
soming cherry tree. 

Two roads lead to Nikko, and upon each of 
these roads, for more than thirty miles, are 
rows of great pine trees, making grand avenues 
of shade leading to the lovely village. 

One day the children went for a sail upon 
beautiful Lake Hikone. They took their din¬ 
ner with them, and had a grand time under 
the trees upon the bank of the lake. 

In the evening, when they returned, their 
father asked them if they were too tired for a 
journey the next day. 

“No, no,” both answered, “we are never tired; 
if our mother is not tired, we will start early.” 


76 


METZU 


Their mother smiled, thinking she would be 
ready long before the children would awake, 
after such a day of pleasure and play as they 
had had ; but as soon as the first rays of the 
morning sun touched the white caps of the 
western mountains, they were up and waiting 
for the maid to tie their sashes in great bows. 
Their simple breakfast of tea, rice and fish was 
soon eaten, and again riding in jinrikishas, 
they passed through one of the long avenues 
leading to Nikko. 

How beautiful their island looked that 
bright morning. Snow-capped mountains, glit¬ 
tering cascades and waterfalls, blue lakes and 
rivers shining like threads of silver, were upon 
every side; and over their heads the boughs of 
the great pine trees made a beautiful canopy of 
green. 

As they came in sight of the village, they 


METZU 


77 


crossed a swift-rushing, roaring mountain 
stream. 1 he bridge by which they crossed 
this river was a plain wooden one; but not far 
away was another bridge, resting upon solid 
columns of stone, and the wood-work covered 
with lacquer and bright with gold. This was 
the Rainbow Bridge; and these children would 
tell you that, in the days of old, the gods let 
this bridge down from the clouds, and the Em¬ 
peror is the only one who can pass over it. 

Several years ago, when General Grant was 
visiting Japan, the Emperor invited him to 
cross this bridge. But our brave, wise General, 
knowing that the Japanese thought this bridge 
sacred to their Emperor, politely declined the 
invitation, and passed over the plain wooden 
one. Was he not kind and thoughtful, to re¬ 
spect the feelings and belief of a strange people 
in this way? 


78 


METZU 


Many, many years ago, two of the greatest 
shoguns, or governors, that Japan ever had, 
were buried in Nikko; and the finest temples of 
Japan were built here in honor of them. 



THE SHOGUN’S BRIDGE, NIKKO 


Splendid gateways, beautifully carved, stand 
before these temples; and the priest will show 
you upon one of the gates, a place where the 
carving is left unfinished. He will tell you the 
gods commanded that it be left undone, lest 



METZU 


79 



mortals should make work as perfect as the 
gods could do. 

After visiting the temples and a mountain 
shrine, where the children placed money in one 


HIGURASIII GATE, NIKKO 

of the boxes everywhere ready for those who 
wish to give, they started back down the beauti¬ 
ful Avenue of Pines, past the Rainbow Bridge 
once more, shining like a real rainbow in the 



80 


MET2U 


sunlight. Here they turned to look back at 
the beautiful village with its splendid temples 
and gateways. The gilded roofs, the red walls, 
brilliant with gold and lacquer, were just as 
bright, just as beautiful as when this strange 
little people built them more than two hun¬ 
dred years ago. 

From Kioto to Tokio by railroad is about as 
far as from Boston to Philadelphia, and the 
children were glad to return home in this 
way. Kine wondered if her birds and her 
pretty spotted kitten had been cared for, and 
Metzu hoped the turtle in the little pond in 
their garden had not crawled away to deeper 
water. 

Still, they were not too tired to look out of 
the windows at the many little villages through 
which they passed. Everywhere the people 
were busy cultivating the soil, or cutting down 


METZU 


81 


the great bamboo canes, or carrying bundles of 
wood upon their backs. 

In many towns crowds of people were 
gathered around jugglers or acrobats. The 
Japanese jugglers, or sleight-of-hand perform¬ 
ers, do wonderful things. 

Their magicians are among the best in the 
world; and in no other country will you see so 
many things done to amuse and please the 
children as in Japan. 

The children have many Feast Days, and 
many a show and street parade is held just for 
the children. In the cities there are many 
theatres. When the people go they take all 
their children, too. Often the play lasts for 
two or three days, and the mother carries a 
basket of food, which is eaten in the theater. 

Many of the plays are histories of Japan, or 
stories of olden days. They would seem very 


82 


METZU 


tiresome to you, but the Japanese never tire of 
hearing about the early days of their Island 
Empire. They have many dancers, and most 
of them dress to represent some bird or 
beast. 

The butterfly dance is a favorite with the 
children, and the dresses of the dancers are 
very gay and beautiful. 

The children are very glad when the train 
reaches Tokio and they take the street car for 
home. These Island people are quick to learn 
the ways of other nations, and there is a street 
car line in Tokio now. 

Back at home the children are very glad to 
play in their own garden again. Kine’s kitten 
has grown larger, and the mischievous monkey 
is just as full of pranks as ever. The turtle 
has eaten up the gold fish in the pond, and 
Metzu thinks he has grown much larger. Kine 


METZU 


83 


says he ought to be larger, having eaten all 
her pretty fish. 

The children have grown wiser, if not larger. 
Their bright, black eyes have seen many 
strange sights, and they are quick to learn 
and can remember all they have seen and 
heard. 

Metzu thinks the new island of Formosa 
must be finest of all, and often he will say to 
Kine, “ When another summer comes, I shall 
ask our father to take me to Formosa.” But 
Kine thinks her home island so beautiful that 
she has no wish to go away from it. Metzu 
tells her that she will never know what grand 
things there are in the world if she never 
leaves their island; but Kine only smiles and 
answers, “You may go, and then you can tell 
me all you have seen.” 

There is another large island, north of 


84 


METZU 


Hondo, called Yesso. Upon this island lives a 
wild tribe of people. 

They are the descendants of those who 
lived upon the islands before the Japanese 
came there. 

These wild, savage people are called Ainos, 
and live by hunting and fishing. They build 
small huts upon posts driven into the ground; 
benches are built around the sides of the hut, 
and these serve for beds, chairs, and tables. 

The women make a kind of cloth from the 
bark of trees, and this, with the skins of 
animals, makes their clothing. The women 
do all the hard work; the men hunt and fish. 

On this island are great coal mines; and 
from the large city of Hakodate many dried 
fish are shipped to other countries. 

Hundreds of years have passed since the first 
Emperor of Japan died, but until about fifty 


METZU 


85 


years ago this beautiful Sunrise Kingdom was 
almost an unknown land to every other nation. 

These people never went visiting, and they 
did not allow visitors to land upon their island. 
Some Dutch ships were permitted to anchor 
in one of their harbors, and the Japanese 
would go out to their ships in boats and trade 
with them. 

Our nation tried, in many ways, to make a 
treaty with Japan, which would allow us to 
buy tea and camphor and coal of them; but 
they would have nothing to say to us. 

However, in 1852, Commodore Matthew 
Perry (brother of the hero of Lake Erie) was 
sent, with a fleet of ships, to make a treaty 
with Japan. 

After a great deal of talk with the Shoguns, 
he was allowed to land; and, in 1854, after 
waiting for a long time, a treaty was signed, 


86 


METZU 


which allowed American ships to enter two of 
their harbors for coal, water, and food. 

Again, in 1858, a new treaty was made, 
which gave the people of other nations the 
right to build houses and live in Yokohama. 

At last, in 1868, the Emperor (the Tenno, 
or Heaven Child, as the Japanese call him), 
was to meet the foreigners. What a terrible 
thing this seemed to the Japanese people! 
Their Emperor, who had never been seen by 
any one, except his own family, to meet the 
strangers — the Tojins! 

No wonder the Japanese felt sure their 
empire was ruined. But the rulers had said 
it must be; and one day the Tenno—the 
Heaven Child — walked upon the earth like 
common people, and met the ministers from 
foreign lands. 

What a change has come to their land since 


METZU 


87 


that time! Nearly three thousand miles of 
railroad, telegraph and telephone lines, street 
cars, electric lights, public schools, police and 
fire departments, all the improvements time 
has brought to civilized countries — these the 
Japanese have in their island empire. 

Many of their old ways they still keep; but 
if they go on improving in the next twenty- 
five years, as rapidly as they have in the 
last, little Metzu will truly have good reason 
to think his land one of the grandest under 
the sun. 

In November, when the Feast of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums comes, and every one goes to see the 
beautiful flowers, the Emperor and Empress of 
Japan invite their noblemen and the foreign 
ministers, together with their wives, to a chrys¬ 
anthemum party. 

The Empress often visits the schools, and 


FIRE DEPARTMENT OF TOKIO 







METZU 


89 


sometimes gives presents to the children with 
her own hands. 

When the Feast of Chrysanthemums comes, 
all the people visit the parks and public gardens 
to admire the lovely flowers. Sometimes five 
or six different colors are grown upon one bush, 
for the Japanese are very skilful gardeners. 

But the holiday which the children enjoy the 
most is the Feast of the Cherry Blossoms. 
Everywhere the beautiful trees grow; and they 
are cultivated just for the blossoms, for the 
cherries are not fit to eat. 

What a merry time they have when, at last, 
the great white blossoms open under the warm 
spring sunshine! Old and young take their 
dinner baskets and picnic under the beautiful 
trees. The children sit upon the green grass, 
the birds singing in the branches and the white 
blossoms falling like snow around them. 


90 


METZU 


The cuckoo calls in merry tones from the 
topmost branch and the lark flies up toward 
the blue sky, singing as he goes. No robin 
redbreast, however, calls out gayly, “ Cheer up, 
cheer up,” for he thinks, no doubt that a land 
where cherries are not good to eat is no place 
for him. 

Here, under the trees come the jugglers, the 
fortune-tellers and the magicians, and every¬ 
where there is something to amuse the children. 

Metzu and Kine, found an old magician 
charming turtles, and they watched him for a 
long time. 

Again, a storyteller comes under the trees 
where they are sitting and tells some of the 
wonderful stories of olden days. 

Nearly every month has a flower festival. 

The happiest holiday is the Feast of the New 
Year. 


METZU 


91 


Every one then has new clothes. The men 
and boys go to the barbers and have their 
heads shaved, and the hairdresser comes to the 
house and combs the hair of the women and 
girls. Every one cleans house. The shops are 
gaily trimmed, new plays are acted at the thea¬ 
tres, and for a whole week every one rejoices. 

But sorrow comes in Japan sometimes as 
well as joy and pleasure. There is no land 
without death, and the people of Japan love 
their friends, and grieve when they are taken 
from them just as we do. They visit the 
cemeteries and the tombs of their families, and 
carry flowers to place on their graves. 

In every home there is a shrine where 
prayers are said every day; and each month 
the Priest comes to the house, and sitting on 
the floor, the whole family count their beads 
and chant their prayers. 


92 


METZU 


There are several Christian churches and 
missions in Japan, and about three thousand 
Japanese are believers in Christianity. But 
the greater part of the people are Buddhists, 
or believers in the Shinto religion. 

They do not wish their children taught any 
religion except their own; but let us hope 
little Metzu and Kine may learn to love the 
God of the Christians, and follow the teach¬ 
ings of Jesus, the children’s gentle, loving 
Friend. 

Now, when you see the cherry trees, in 
spring, filled with innumerable white bouquets, 
or when the chrysanthemums are in bloom in 
your windows in the autumn time, I would 
have you think of the gentle, soft-voiced, dark¬ 
eyed little Japanese children, in their strange 
country far away toward the setting sun. 

I would have you imagine them sitting 


METZU 


under the blossoming cherry trees, or walking 
here and there through the gardens at the 
chrysanthemum show, or having a merry time 
playing together, just as all little children do 
in every land upon this great, round world; 
for children are children in whatever land they 
dwell, and the happiest days of life, the wide 
world over, are the days of childhood. 

Then, little boys, swing your hats; little 
girls, clap your hands; and, while the boys 
and girls of Japan wave their fans and swing 
their paper umbrellas, let us join them in a glad 
“Hurrah! hurrah! Nippon Banzai!(nee pon 
banzi) Long live Japan ! ” 



Principal Giles 
I Tokio 
* Yokohama 
a Osaka 
4 Kioto 
1 Nagasaki •• 


94 



























VOCABULARY. 


Buddha (bo'da) 
Confucius (kon-fu'shius) 
Formosa (for-mo'sa) 
Fuji-yama (fo'je-ya'ma) 
Hakodate (ha-ko-da'ta) 
Kioto (ke-o'to) 

Iviusiu (kyo'syo') 

Kobe (ko'be) 

Nagasaki (na-ga-sa'ke) 
Okhotsk (o-chotsk') 
Osaka (o-sa'ka) 

Shikoku (she-ko'ko) 

Toki (to'ke-o) 

Yokohama (yo-ko-ha'ma) 



































































































































































































































